DANGER – this project uses chemicals and will require an adult’s supervision!

This crazy science experiment is called Elephant’s Toothpaste. I’m not sure if it’s what elephants actually use to brush their teeth. Wait! Elephants are wild animals, they don’t have toothpaste! Whatever.

This is a simple and fun chemical reaction. There’s oxygen in hydrogen peroxide, that’s where the “oxide” comes from. The chemical name for hydrogen peroxide is H2O2. It has two hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms. One of the oxygen atoms is like one of those crazy little kids at the mall that are on a leash constantly trying to break free. The yeast, our catalyst, when added to the hydrogen peroxide, speeds up the reaction and cuts the leash, letting that crazy kid run wild.

When hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) loses one of its oxygen atoms, it becomes… H2O, which is just water. When we add the yeast it releases a bunch of the oxygen at once. When we add soap, it helps to catch all of the oxygen and create that cool bubble foam. The optional food coloring is to make the foam any color.